No. 6. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE. 595 



of the butter granules aud the amouut of water cliiigiug to them are 

 not unifoiui aud, hence, the weight of the washed, draiued butter 

 grauules does uot bear a constant, deiinite relation to the amount 

 of butter when tiuished. The larger the amount of water in the 

 butter grauules, the larger is the amouut that will go out on salt- 

 ing and working, aud the less will be the amount of salt left in. 

 When the creaming is done by a separator, and a cream of uniform 

 composition is used from day to day, the weight of cream affords 

 a better basis for calculating the amount of salt to use than does 

 the weight of washed butter granules. The salt can be incorporated 

 easily and eveulv into the whole mass of butter, if it is added while 

 the water is being pressed from the butter in the worker. It is 

 important to continue the working until the salt completely dis- 

 solves, because undissolved particles of salt may cause mottled or 

 streaked butter. A particle of solid salt remaining in the butter 

 may later dissolve in the water contained in the butter and thus 

 form a strong brine at that point, which tends to deepen the color 

 of the butter that comes in contact with this drop of strong brine. 

 Care should be used in the selection of dairy salt, as different brands 

 of salt vary in their fitness for use in salting butter. Generally 

 speaking, good dairy salt should have a uniform size of particles, 

 should be dry aud should completely dissolve to a clear solution. 



When a small amount of salt is desired in butter, it can be more 

 uniformly aud completely incorjjorated into the butter bj" using 

 brine instead of dry salt. For this purpose, a brine is prepared 

 by dissolving m warm water all the salt that can be made to dis- 

 solve. This brine is cooled to the proper temperature and poured 

 over the butter. The brine may take the place of the second wash 

 water and allowed to stay with the butter about ten minutes, when 

 it is drawn off and a second portion of saturated brine added to the 

 butter for the same length of time. Then the brine is removed and 

 the working done in the usual manner. 



39. Packing Butter for Market. 



Butter is in condition to pack for market when the salt entirely 

 in solution has been completely and uniformly worked through the 

 butter, and the water in the butter reduced to the desired amount. 

 When butter is to be kept for some time before marketing, it should 

 contain less water tha« butter intended for immediate use. Popu- 

 lar taste at present appears to call for a comparatively large amount 

 of water in butter when it is consumed fresh. A large amount of 

 water in butter that is to be kept awhile before consumption is 

 objectionable, because sooner or later the water evaporates from 

 the surface, leaving a coating of salt, and the appearance is injuri 

 ously affected. 

 36 



